When one door closes, a new program is here to keep it propped open. ONE Lexington has received $500,000 from Governor Andy Beshear’s “Everybody Counts” program. The effort aims to help graduating seniors continue their education, kick off their careers, or both.
The collaboration between the state and ONE Lexington’s “Building Bridges to Opportunity” programs will:
- Reserve $100,000 to go toward job training scholarship funds for high school seniors impacted by gun violence
- Dedicate $150,000 to expand ONE Lexington’s mentoring groups
- Offer $1,000 grants to 13 family resource and youth services centers located in neighborhoods affected by gun violence
- Expand college scholarships, such as ONE Lexington’s “Be The Change” scholarship
- Support funding for post-secondary skills development
“While a robust crisis response through programming services is vital to how we address gun violence, creating opportunities for our most underserved young people gives us the greatest chance to disrupt gun violence in our communities in the long term. This collaborative initiative does that,” said Devine Carama, director for ONE Lexington.
